How Maine Democrats Intend to Replace Graham Platner in 19 Days
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State deadline to
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By Ashley Wu
July 18, 2026
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The Maine Democratic Party unveiled its plan to replace Graham Platner, the Senate nominee who withdrew from his race after a woman accused him of sexual assault. The replacement process is scheduled to happen at a remarkably fast pace — within just three weeks of Mr. Platner’s withdrawal.
If all goes to plan, the eventual Democratic nominee will have just under 100 days to campaign against Senator Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent, in what is expected to be one of the most competitive Senate races of the midterms.
Replacing a Senate candidate is rare, and procedures vary by state and by timing. Here is how the Maine Democratic Party plans to pick Mr. Platner’s replacement.
Twelve Democrats have declared themselves candidates. Nine who had submitted their intent to run by Tuesday were invited to a debate hosted by News Center Maine on Thursday.
At the debate, the candidates tried to embrace Mr. Platner’s grass-roots energy while not condoning his behavior, and they assailed Ms. Collins for siding with President Trump on various issues. They also spent much of the debate denouncing the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Maine, in light of the fatal shooting in Biddeford on Monday.
Each of Maine’s 16 counties will host a meeting this weekend, either in person or virtually, to select a total of 500 delegates to attend the state convention on July 25. The delegates will not be pledged to a particular candidate, but many delegate candidates have made their preferences known.
In-person meeting
Virtual meeting
Aroostook
Piscataquis
In-person
county meetings
Penobscot
Somerset
Franklin
Washington
Hancock
Waldo
Kennebec
Oxford
Knox
Lincoln
Androscoggin
Cumberland
Sagadahoc
York
Aroostook
Piscataquis
In-person
county meetings
Penobscot
Somerset
Franklin
Washington
Hancock
Waldo
Kennebec
Oxford
Knox
Lincoln
Androscoggin
Cumberland
Sagadahoc
York
The New York Times
Thousands of Mainers have registered as a candidate to be one of the delegates or as a participant in these meetings.
Each county will select an allotted number of delegates based on the number of Democratic votes in the 2024 presidential election in that county. Cumberland County, which includes Portland, the most populous city in Maine, will elect the most delegates.
The Maine Democratic Party will send another 101 delegates from its state committee.
The New York Times
Senate candidates must gather at least 500 signatures. They need to have at least 50 signatures from at least eight different counties.
Two days before the state convention, CNN and The Bangor Daily News will host a two-hour debate. There will be a live audience that will include some county delegates.
Delegates will gather at the convention in Bangor to vote for the nominee to replace Mr. Platner.
Voting will happen in rounds until one candidate reaches a majority. Here’s how that voting process could work.
Candidates
Each delegate casts a vote for one
candidate. If a candidate receives a
majority, voting ends, and that
candidate becomes the nominee.
If no candidate receives a majority,
the five candidates with the most
votes from the first round will proceed
to a second vote.
Voting continues to subsequent
rounds until one candidate receives
a majority. In each new round,
the candidate who receives
the fewest votes is eliminated.
If two candidates
tie for the last
spot, there is a
tiebreaker vote.
Nominee to
replace Platner
Candidates
Each delegate casts a
vote for one candidate. If a
candidate receives a majority,
voting ends, and that candidate
becomes the nominee.
If no candidate receives a
majority, the five candidates with
the most votes from the first round
will proceed to a second vote.
Voting continues to subsequent
rounds until one candidate
receives a majority. In each new
round, the candidate who receives
the fewest votes is eliminated.
If two candidates tie for the last spot, there is a tiebreaker vote.
Nominee to
replace Platner
The New York Times
The Maine Democratic Party must submit the nominee’s name to Shenna Bellows, Maine’s secretary of state, by July 27. Ms. Bellows is also one of the candidates to replace Mr. Platner.
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